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Unit Summary
Unit type
UG Coursework Unit
Credit points
12
AQF level
Level of learning
Advanced
Former School/College
Pre-requisites
Unit aim
Expanding on the knowledge gained in Soil Mechanics and Geology, this unit teaches students how to apply this knowledge to design the geotechnical aspects of a range of different projects. Design of building and bridge foundations will be covered, in addition to the design of dams and excavations. Methods of investigating a site and assessing the stability of a slope will be investigated. Computer modelling will be introduced to provide practical working knowledge of techniques used in industry to analyse geotechnical problems.
Unit content
Topic 1: Methods and approaches to geotechnical design including safe working loads, ultimate limit states and interaction with other disciplines
Topic 2: Methods of site investigation
Topic 3: Design of shallow footings
Topic 4: Design of deep footings and pile foundations
Topic 5: Design of foundations for buildings, bridges and other structures including methods to model soil structure interaction
Topic 6: Design of excavations using techniques such as passive soil nailing or rock anchors
Topic 7: Design and construction of dams
Topic 8: Slope stability of soils and rock slopes
Topic 2: Methods of site investigation
Topic 3: Design of shallow footings
Topic 4: Design of deep footings and pile foundations
Topic 5: Design of foundations for buildings, bridges and other structures including methods to model soil structure interaction
Topic 6: Design of excavations using techniques such as passive soil nailing or rock anchors
Topic 7: Design and construction of dams
Topic 8: Slope stability of soils and rock slopes
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Describe the different approaches to geotechnical design and the issues associated with the interaction with other disciplines such as structural engineering | |||||||
| 2 | Apply knowledge of soil mechanics and geology to design a range of different geotechnical components including shallow and deep foundations, excavations, dams and analyse the stability of soil and rock slopes | |||||||
| 3 | Specify a site testing regime to adequately develop an understanding of the soil/rock properties on a site in order to develop suitable engineering designs | |||||||
| 4 | Assess site specific contextual factors and constraints to select appropriate geotechnical solutions to complex problems | |||||||
| 5 | Model typical geotechnical problems using suitable computer modelling techniques | |||||||
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
-
Describe the different approaches to geotechnical design and the issues associated with the interaction with other disciplines such as structural engineering
- GA4:
-
Apply knowledge of soil mechanics and geology to design a range of different geotechnical components including shallow and deep foundations, excavations, dams and analyse the stability of soil and rock slopes
- GA4:
- GA5:
-
Specify a site testing regime to adequately develop an understanding of the soil/rock properties on a site in order to develop suitable engineering designs
- GA4:
- GA5:
-
Assess site specific contextual factors and constraints to select appropriate geotechnical solutions to complex problems
- GA2:
- GA4:
-
Model typical geotechnical problems using suitable computer modelling techniques
- GA4:
- GA5:
Prescribed texts
- Main textbook: Das, B & Sobhan, K, 2014, Principles of Geotechnical Engineering, 8th edn, Cengage Learning, USA. ISBN: 9781133108672.